The Greening AI Data Centres Coalition brings together nine global bodies to set sustainability benchmarks for one of the world’s fastest-growing building types.

The Greening AI Data Centres Coalition (GADCC) creates a global initiative will develop transparent standards that define what ‘green’ genuinely means for data centres, giving investors, operators, communities and policymakers clearer guidelines on effective measures to reduce emissions while protecting water resources, energy systems and local communities.

Data centres currently consume roughly 1.5–2 per cent of global electricity, and the International Energy Agency projects demand will more than double by 2030. Their water footprint is growing fast, so much so that it intensifies the pressure on local water supplies with facilities in some regions consuming as much water as a small city.

The coalition’s initial programme of work will focus on two priorities:

Common sustainability criteria: Developing an internationally aligned framework of environmental and social performance standards for data centres, covering energy, carbon, water, waste, biodiversity and community impact.

Market enablement: Supporting the development of credible green finance instruments, including green bonds and sustainability-linked loans, for data centre investment that meets the coalition’s standards.

Founding members are the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the Climate Bonds Initiative, the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB), the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB), the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), the US Green Building Council (USGBC), and World Green Building Council (WorldGBC).

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